Samsung reportedly developing Windows RT tablet

As Samsung's Android legal woes mount, the hardware giant appears to be showing more interest in Windows.

The Korean hardware giant plans to release a tablet running Windows RT when the forthcoming mobile operating system arrives later this year, sources tell Bloomberg. The news comes on the heels of Samsung's announcement that it would support Windows 8 with an all-in-one PC and a hybrid laptop-tablet.

Details regarding the new device were slim, but Bloomberg said the new tablet would feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. The tablet is expected to be released in October.

Windows RT is the first mainstream, desktop-class Windows operating system to run on ARM chips. ARM processors, which power iOS, Android, and other mobile devices on the market, have gained great traction of late in large part because of its better battery management.

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Samsung's legal patent ping-pong match with Apple has picked up speed in the past week. On June 29, a judge in a lower court granted Apple's request for a pretrial injunction against U.S. sales of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone while the court determines whether the Android-powered device infringes the patents Apple claims it does. Samsung appealed, and the appeals court temporarily lifted the ban on Friday, while it deliberates on whether to dump the ban altogether.

On Monday, a U.S. federal judge rejected Samsung's appeal of a preliminary injunction against U.S. sales of its Galaxy Tab 10.1, which Apple says illegally copies "the look and feel" of its iPad tablet and iPhone smartphone.